"Good Ol' Days" weren't so good

                                     Governor Earl Long

Name calling, political attacks, misinformation

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

 Had enough name calling, charges and counter charges, political attacks and misinformation? No, I didn’t think so. The following sound bytes and quotes from political seasons past and a few favorites from the "Good Ol' Days" should help you fill in the blanks. Point is, I guess politics has always brought out the rough stuff.

“The truth, which is what elections are all about, is that the tax burden of the middle class has gone up while the tax burden of the middle class has gone down.” – John Kerry, quoted by the Associated Press, Aug. 25, 2001.

“I’m hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure.” – George W. Bush, January 2001

“I’ve coined new words, like, misunderstanding and Hispanically.” – George W. Bush, speaking at the Radio and Television Correspondents dinner, March 29, 2001

“Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” – Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

When Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) told Rep. Peter Stark (D-Calif.) to “shut up” amid a dispute over legislation, Stark had this to say: “You think you are big enough to make me, you little wimp? Come on, come over here and make me, I dare you …You little fruitcake. You little fruitcake. I said you are a fruitcake.”

“I’m not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president.” – Hilary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents.

“That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I’m just the one to do it.” – Democratic congressional candidate in Texas.

“We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur.” – former Vice President Al Gore

“I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix.” – former Vice President Dan Quayle
 

“If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure.” – former President Bill Clinton

“It isn’t pollution that is harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.” – former Vice President Al Gore

Plus one of my favorites:

“Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.” – former Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, D.C.

But perhaps my all-time favorite political quote gets to the very essence of politics.

When Earl Long swept an election in Louisiana and his opponent cried foul when he received only three votes in an entire parish, observing that he had more than three personal friends in that parish; old Earl opined, “That’s politics for you. One day you got friends, the next day you ain’t.”